Other Nut Butters

Peanut butter isn’t the only kind of nutbutter you can spread on your whole-wheat bread. Try some variety.

• Almond butter is more nutrient-dense than peanut butter. It contains half the amount of saturated fat, less salt (usually), and eight times as much calcium. Peanut butter, however, contains twice as much protein and four times as much niacin (20 percent of the DV).

• Cashew butter is less nutritious than both almond and peanut butter. It contains less protein, fiber, and niacin than peanut butter, but it still makes a tasty piece of toast.

• Soy butter is a healthy alternative for those allergic to other nutbutters, is lower in total and saturated fats than peanut butter, but usually has added sweeteners to make it palatable.

• Sesame seed butter (called “tahini”) is a favorite of Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be mixed with ground chickpeas to make hummus or combined with eggplant and spices to make baba ghanoush.

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